ett up for himselfe. When the Duke of Buckingham's great masque was represented at court, he was chosen (among the rest) to performe some extraordinary part in it, and vaulting and cutting capers being then in fashion, he, endeavouring to doe something extraordinary, by misfortune of a false step, when he came to the ground, did spraine a veine on the inside of his leg, of wch he was lame ever after, wch gave an occasion to say, "that he was an excellent dancing master, and "never a good leg."

He taught 2 of the La Hopton's (then S: Ralph) sisters to dance, then at Witham, in Somersetshire, and S Ralph taught him to handle the pike and musket; sc. all the postures. In the yeare .. he went over into Ireland to Th. Earle of Strafford, Ld Lieutenant there, and was there entertained to teach in that family, and here it was that first he gave proofe of his inclination to poetry, by paraphrasing upon some of Esop's fables. (He writt a fine hand.) He had a warrant from the Ld Lieutenant to be master of the ceremonies for that kingdome, and built a little theatre in S: Warburgh street, in Dublin: it was a short time before the rebellion broke out, by which he lost all, and ran through many hazards, and particularly being like to have been blown up at the castle of Refarnum, neer Dublin. He came into England about the yeare 1648.

He printed Virgill, translated by himselfe into English verse, 8vo. 164. . dedicated to the right honble Wm. La Marquesse of Hertford, who loved him very well. After he had translated Virgill, he learned Greeke of Mr. Whitfield, a Scotch Bishop's son, and grew so great a proficient in it that he fell-to to translate Homer's Iliad, 1660. Next, as if by a prophetique spirit, foreseing the restauration of King Charles II, and also the want there might be of Church Bibles, he printed the fairest impression, and the most correct of English Bibles that ever was yet done, in royall and imperiall paper. He printed and published

his matie's entertainments at his coronation, in fol. with cutts, 1662. The same yeare (1662) he went into Ireland again, being then, by patent, master of the revells, having disputed his right wth Sir Will. Davenant, who had got a graunt, and built a noble Theatre at Dublin, wch cost 2000lib. the former being ruined in the troubles. His Odyssey came out in 1665. People did then suspect, or would not beleeve that he was the author of the Paraphrase upon Æsop, and to convince them he published a 2a volume, which he calls his sopiques, which he did during the sicknesse, in his retirement at Kingston upon Thames, after he had published Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. His History of China, in fol. before the fire, then his History of Japan. The

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generall and dreadfull conflagration burnt all that he had, that he was faine to begin the world again, being then but worth 5lib. He had such an excellent and prudentiall witt, and master of so good addresse, that when he was undone he could not only shift handsomely (which is a great mastery), but he would make such rationall proposalls that would be embraced by rich and great men, that in a short time he could gaine an estate again, and never failed in any thing he ever undertook, but all-wayes went through with profit and honour. Being utterly undon again by the fire, he made his proposalls for the printing of a fair English Atlas, of which he lived to finish the History of Africa, America, and part of Asia, and then being encouraged by the King and the nobility to make an actuall survey of England and Wales, he proceeded in it so far as to an actuall survey of the roads both in England and Wales, which composed his . . . . volume of Britannia.

He wrote a play at Dublin, called, The Merchant of Dublin, never printed.

A... Jo. Ogilby maried. . . . the da. of... Fox, of Netherhampton, neer Wilton, in com. Wilts, servant to the E. of Pembroke, a good liver, who was borne, as he was wont to say, in the first Olympiad, sc. when the first race was ran at Sarum, in H. E. of Pembroke's time. She had only one da. by him, maried to

Morgan, who left a son, who now succeeds his gr. father as his matie's. Cosmographer. She dyed in London.

MR. WILLIAM OUGHTRED, B.D.

Was borne at Eaton, in Buckinghamshire, near Windsor, A: D 1574, March the fifth, 5 h. P.M. His father taught to write at Eaton, and was a scrivener; and understood common arithmetique, and 'twas no small help and furtherance to his son to be instructed in it when a school-boy. His grandfather came from the North for killing a man. The last knight of the family was one S: Jeffery Oughtred. I thinke a Northumberland family. A: Di.... he was chosen to be one of the King's scholars at Eaton Colledge. A. D. he went to King's Colledge, in Cambridge. Anno ætatis 23, he writt then his Horologiographia Geometrica, as appears by the title. A. Di.... he was instituted and inducted into the Rectory or Parsonage of Albury, in com. Surrey, worth a hundred pounds, per ann. he was pastor of this place fifty years. He maried. . . . Caryl (an ancient family in these parts,) by whom he had nine sonnes (most lived to be men) and four daughters. None of his sonnes he could make any great scholars. He was a

little man, had black haire, and black eies, with a great deal of spirit. His witt was always working. He would drawe lines and diagrams on the dust. His eldest son Benjamin (who lives in the house with Col. Boothby, who gives him his dyet, and now an old man) he bound apprentice to a watchmaker; did worke pretty well, but his sight now failes for that fine worke. He told me that his father did use to lye a bed till eleaven or twelve o'clock, with his doublet on, ever since he can remember. Studyed late at night; went not to bed till 11 o'clock; had his tinder box by him; and on the top of his bedstaffe, he had his inke-horne fixt. He slept but little. Sometimes he went not to bed in two or three nights, and would not come downe to meales till he had found out the quæsitum. He was more famous abroad for his learning, and more esteemed, than at home. Several great mathematicians came over into England on purpose to be acquainted with him. His country neighbours (though they understood not his worth) knew that there must be extraordinary worth in him, that he was so visited by foreigners. Seth Ward, M.A. fellow of Sydney Colledge, in Cambridge*

* When Seth Ward, M.A. and Charles Scarborough, D.M. came, as in a pilgrimage, to see him and admire him, they lay at the inne at Sheeres (the next parish), Mr. Oughtred had against their comeing prepared a good dinner, and